Statement_of_Work.doc

OTT- ASPEN SITE PREP 2016

Statement of Work

SOLICITATION # AG-569R-S-16-0036

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

These specifications will pertain to all items contained within this contract.

A.

Site Preparation for Aspen Natural Regeneration

1) All live tree species over 4 feet tall and up to 4.9 inches DBH shall be cut except do not cut red oak, birch, red and white pine, American elm, hemlock and cedar.

2) Retain two to three small clumps of low, dense young balsam, hemlock or other conifer species (about 100 square feet to 1000 square feet in size) per acre, as available, in a manner that still meets aspen regeneration objectives for the stand.

3) Leave good quality spruce, removing damaged trees (leaning, logging-scarred, etc.) and trees with less than 20% crown ratio.

4) Shrubs, such as alder, are not required to be cut unless specified in the supplemental specifications.

5) Annuals such as grasses, sedges, ferns, etc. are not required to be cut.

6) Do not cut dead trees.

B.

Felling Specifications

1) All trees required to be cut shall be cut below the lowest live limb except when prevented by natural obstacles.

2) Trees required to be cut shall be completely severed from the stump and lie flat on the ground. No tops shall be left hanging in standing trees.

3) The stump height of cut trees shall not exceed 6 inches above the ground level on the high side of the stump, or 4 inches above natural obstacles.

4) The cut angle of such stumps shall not exceed 20 degrees measured from a horizontal plane extending from the stump at ground level.

5) No boundary trees marked with paint or flagging shall be cut.

6) All snags shall be left.

7) All reserve trees as defined in the supplemental specifications shall be left.

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

A. The Contractor shall provide cutting tools and equipment that are suitable for the job.

B. All power tools shall be equipped with Forest Service approved spark arrestors and shall be in good operating condition.

ROAD USE AND MAINTENANCE

A. All roads leading into each project area to be worked are to be kept open and free of any debris that may occur as a result of the work.

B. All existing roads used by the Contractor shall be left in the same condition, or better, as when the operation started.

C. Prior to the start of work, the Contractor and COR will review and document existing road conditions to provide a basis for maintenance needs.

SLASH TREATMENT

A. All existing slash and slash resulting from the Contractor's operations shall be pulled back at least 10 feet from perennial and intermittent stream courses, lakes, ponds, vernal ponds, trails, culverts, and boundaries adjacent to private land.

B. Within a strip 50 feet wide, measured from the cleared edge of any numbered Forest Service road, all existing slash and slash resulting from Contractor’s operation shall be lopped and scattered to lie within 24 inches of the ground. Slash within 10 feet of the cleared edge of any numbered Forest Service road must be pulled back.

WORKING AREA BOUNDARIES

A. The boundaries will be shown on the project maps and discussed on the ground before the Contractor commences work.

RESOURCE PROTECTION

A. Protection of Streams, Lakes and Reservoirs

1) The Contractor shall take every precaution to prevent pollution from fuels, oils, chemicals, silt, or other harmful materials of any stream, lake, or reservoir located in or near the contract areas.

2) All streams shall be kept free of Contractor-generated debris.

B. Protection of Archaeological/Historical Resources

1) The Contractor, upon discovery of suspected archaeological or historical materials, shall cease work in the vicinity of such material and immediately notify the COR.

C. Protection of Improvements

1) The Contractor shall take every precaution to prevent damage to any improvement in contract areas such as roads, trails, ditches, fences, etc.

2) All existing roads used by the Contractor shall be left in the same condition, or better, as when the operation started.

D. Protection Of Land Survey Monuments

1) The Contractor shall protect all known survey monuments, witness corners, reference monuments, and bearing trees against avoidable destruction, obliteration, or damage during Contractor's operations. These will be shown to the Contractor on the ground by the Contracting Officer's Representative or the Inspector.

E. Debris Disposal

1) All gas and oil cans, or other litter generated by the Contractor during this contract shall be removed as work progresses.

CREW ORGANIZATION

A. The Contractor or designated representative shall be on site whenever the crew is working and shall be able to speak and understand English, as well as fully understand and communicate with the crew members.

INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

A. All equipment furnished by the Contractor will be inspected prior to start of work to insure compliance with the specifications.

B. Upon completion of the work, the Contractor shall notify the COR that work on the area is completed. If the completed work is accepted, the Contractor shall proceed with work on the next area. If the work is not accepted, the Contractor shall complete any remedial work required for acceptance prior to commencing work on the next area. Multiple areas may be worked only under agreement with the COR.

C. The COR or inspector will make visual inspections to check for compliance with contract specifications. Inspection plots may be taken if the visual inspections indicate that the work quality may not be acceptable.

D. The following actions will be considered as being in non-compliance.

1) Site Preparation for Aspen Natural Regeneration

a) Specified stems not cut.

b) Slash removal not complete.

c) Stumps too high.

d) Cutting of reserve trees

E. Inspection Plots for Site Preparation for Aspen Natural Regeneration.

a) Each plot will be examined to record findings on the items listed below:

1. Number of stems that should have been cut but were not, or were improperly cut (missed stems)

2. Number of crop trees or reserve trees that were cut, but should not have been cut (leave trees cut)

3. Number of stems that should have been cut

b) The following formula will be used to calculate the quality of the work for all tree felling projects:

Quality % = (1 - (no. of missed stems + no of leave trees cut * 2)) * 100

no. of stems that should have been cut

CONTRACT TIME

Notification of award will be issued on or about July 25, 2016. The contract period will start when the timber sales units have been closed from the timber sale contract in July or August of 2016. The services are to be completed by October 31, 2016 with no extensions granted due to inclement weather.

SCHEDULE OF PERFORMANCE

The Contractor shall submit an operating plan at the post award conference for each contract which outlines a schedule of performance. This plan shall be updated if the Contractor falls behind scheduled dates by more than 25 percent.

DEFINITIONS

1) Branch Collar – the bulge formed at the base of a branch by the annual production of overlapping layers of branch and stem tissues.

2) Canopy Gaps – a space in the tree canopy created by the removal of one or more trees from the main stand of trees. Canopy gaps are measured from the edge of the tree crown along the edge of the opening to the edge of the tree crown across the opening. Canopy gaps provide diversity and allow for regeneration of desirable tree species.

3) Cleaning – Release treatment to free favored seedlings/saplings from less desirable trees that overtop them, or are likely to do so.

4) Crop Trees – desirable trees that are left in the stand.

5) DBH (Diameter Breast Height) – Diameter of the trunk of the tree measured at 4-1/2 feet above the ground level on the uphill side of the tree.

6) Lop and Scatter – to cut limbs from the trunks of cut trees, and move and rearrange slash concentrations to achieve a slash depth required in the contract.

7) Pathological Pruning – Pruning the lower limbs of young white pine trees to reduce the risk of blister rust infections.

8) Pruning – The severing of all limbs, live or dead, from the bole of selected trees.

9) Precommercial Thinning – thinning in young stands to improve growth, health, and vigor of the crop trees.

10) Release – the act of freeing a young stand of desirable trees from competition of undesirable vegetation that suppress or threaten to suppress them.

11) Release (Individual Tree) – Release thinning around individual crop trees for a specified distance around the crop trees.

12) Release (Area) – Release thinning which removes all competing vegetation in the stand except for crop and reserve trees.

13) Reserve Tree – A tree designated to be left.

14) Row Thinning – the cutting of trees in lines or narrow strips at fixed intervals throughout the stand.

15) Site Preparation for Aspen Natural Regeneration – removing competing vegetation to allow for successful aspen suckering.

16) Slash – Limbs and trunks of downed trees.

17) Snags – standing dead trees.

18) Tree Crown – the living branches of a tree.

19) Wildlife Openings – permanent openings established and maintained to provide important habitat for many wildlife species.